Simple Question...Just trying to figure out!!!

[metoliusdmm]

I just bought some Fuji NPH400 film and it is going to be my first time using it... the question i have is will my fill flash be enough to do the job if i am doing outdoor family portraits, will i still be able to get the great skin tones that everyone swears by about this specific film. let me know, and whatever else you can help me with, i just want to let this family be happy with the photos i am going to be taking of them, so they are getting they're money's worth.

Oh one more thing, any film suggestions for a portrait that is going to be abstract, it's going to be for a good friends new cd demo, to help her get signed to a label.

Thanks, Devin

[another view]

You should be fine with that - 160 speed would probably be fine too, but it depends on a lot of factors and will make your flash work harder. ISO400 film, as long as you're careful with the exposure, will do a good job here. I use Kodak Portra 400NC, and usually set the ISO in my camera at 250 so I'm over-exposing by 2/3 stop. This insures that I don't under-expose the film which is when the grain starts getting really bad. IMO, two stops of overexposure is much better than one stop of underexposure. It's best to try it yourself so you see what I'm talking about, and to see how Fuji reacts as well - might be a little different than Kodak.

The most important part is to find a lab that knows the film. When I started doing some hired work, I called the pro portrait/wedding lab in town and asked what film they liked working with. They told me Portra, so that's what I went with (also use 800 and 400BW). A pro lab will be expensive but this is a case (usually) where you get what you pay for. Taking NPH to WalMart probably won't give you any better results than using store-brand expired film.